Metallurgy of zinc.



F. M. GLBRO.

v METALLURGY 0 mm.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.4,1911. 1,()12,816,, Y Patented Dec.26, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

/ ATTORNEYS P. M. GLERO. I METALLURGY 0F ZINC. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4,1911.

1,012,816. Patented DGG.26,1911

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES: INVENTORC Wz-W I 1%z m,

W BY

ATITORNEYS,

unrrnn STATES PATENT orrrcn.

FRANK LAURENT owns, or BOULDER, COLORADO.

MET'ALLURGY 0F ZINC.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 26, 19 1 1.

Application filed November 4, 1911. Serial No. 658,535.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be itknown that I, FRANK. LAURENT CLERC, a citizen of the United States. residing in Boulder, county of Boulder,' State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metallurgy offline; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the artgto which it appertainsto make and use the same.

In Letters Patent of the United States granted to me under'date of August 29, 1911, No. 1,002, 037, for improvements in the metallurgy of Zinc, I have described the reduction ofzinc oxid by carbon and the distillation of the metal preliminary to its ultimate recovery as spelter, by a method'whose fun? damental or characteristic.feature consists in establishing a trapped body of molten metal in the bottom of a retort", said trapped body of metal terminating outside of theretort in an outer well, supplying a charge of zinc oxid and carbon to the surface of the trapped portion within theretort, heating the metal in the outer well, and reducing the zinc oxid of the charge by the carbon by means of heat conductedfrom the well through said molten metal to the surface of the portion trapped within the retort.

My resent invention constitutes an amplification of the procedure set forth in my patent referred to, for the purpose of adapting it more fully to varying conditions of practice, and particularly to make'it easier to operate, to economize heat, and to facilitate renewals and repairs.

Generally errpressed, the present improvement consists n grouping a' plurality of retorts (two or more) about an outer well which they have in common andfrom which heat is conducted to the trapped portions of "molten metal, the metal of'thc outer well being subdivided to correspond to the several groups of retorts but being located in a continuous heating chamber, so that a group of individual retorts may be tapped. or drawn as desired together'with the ortion of molten metal cofiperating there'wit ,without interrupting the heatin operation as a whole and without interfering with the orderly and regular progress. of the reducing and distilling operations in the remaining retorts.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a cross-sect1onal view of a suitable form of apparatus appropriate to and embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal sectional view on a plane indicated by the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 represents a longitudinat sectional. View on'a plane indicated by the line 33 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 represents an axio-' metric projection of the structure, with certain portions of the outer walls removed, to permit the interior to be shown to advantage.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates the main furnace structure, and a the several retorts which communicate with an outer well common to them all located in the heating chamber 5. The retorts communicate at bottom with the outer well and chamber 7) by means of apertures 0 below the longitudinal'rear walls 1 of the retorts, these walls in the form shown in the drawing, the side walls of the heating chamber and trap the molten metal within the retorts, as shown. The said Walls are connected by the arch t, and the several retorts are separated from each other by the party walls a). It will thus be noted that transversely of the furnace structure asshown the retorts are arranged in groups and that longitudinally of the furnace structure these groups are arranged in series, and furthermore that in both of these relationships they are served by a heating chamber common to them all and common to the metal'in the exterior well. A further characteristic feature of the construction is that the heating chamber is provided with a series of cross walls 'w which attain a level somewhat higher than the lower edges of the longitudinal walls 1* and which are submerged in the metal of the exterior well. By this arrangement of the retorts in groups the radiation of heat from the outer walls of the retorts is diminished, and a larger V heating chamber inclosing the common Well,

proportion of the heat communicated to the metal in the outer well is conducted into the retorts. So also, by the connection of the groups in series, each group is isolated.

from the other groups, so that the molten .metal in its retorts and outer well can be drawn off without affecting'the level of the metal in the retorts and wells of the other groups or interfering with their proper working. The trapped body'of molten metal" in any group of retorts and Wells can then be renewed without cooling down or emptying the, other groups.

Having thus described'my invention what;

I claim 1s 1. Apparatus for reducing zinc oxid by carbon, comprising a plurality of retorts closed at bottom by a trapped body of substantially quiescent molten metal terminating in a Well exterior to the retorts, a con-' tmuous heating chamber mclosmg the com- .ing in a Well exterior to the retorts ,and

aboutwhich they are grouped, a continuous and means for directing fuel in combustion in presence of two Witnesses.

across the upper surface of the metal in the ell; substantially as described.

3. Apparatus for reducing zinc. oxid by carbon, comprising a plurality of groups of retorts closed at bottom by a trapped body of substantially quiescent molten metal terminating in a well exterior to the groups, partitions submerged in the well and sub dividing it into constituent units corresponding to the several groups, a continuous heating chamber inclosing the common well, and means for directing fuel in combustion across the upper surface of the metal in the well; substantially as described.

4.'Apparatus for reducing zinc oxidby carbon, comprising aplurality of groups of ret'orts closed at bottom by a trapped body of substantially quiescent molten metal terminating in, a Well exterior to the retorts and located intermediate of the members of each group, a contmuous heatingfchamber lnclosmg the common Well and means for vdirecting fuel in combustion across the up; per surface of ,the metal in the Well; sub .stantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature,

. FRANK LAURENT CLERC.

Witnesses:

, JOHN G. PENNIE, MINERVA LOBEL.

Copies of this-patent may lie obtained for five centsea ch', by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, v Washington, D. G. Y Y 

